


Apastron

by NotRover



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon Compliant, Lance-centric, Mostly a rewrite but with some added scenes and more depth, Season 3 Episodes 2 & 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-04
Updated: 2017-10-04
Packaged: 2019-01-09 03:46:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12268224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotRover/pseuds/NotRover
Summary: As Lance drifts farther away from Blue, he can only hope he's coming closer to understanding Red.





	Apastron

**Author's Note:**

  * For [angstinspace](https://archiveofourown.org/users/angstinspace/gifts).



> This is a (belated) birthday fic for the amazing @angstinspace - I love you so much!
> 
> Huge shoutout to @221bdisneystreet for helping beta this fic <3

**Apastron** \- The point of greatest separation of two stars.

* * *

 

 

      “Hey, Red.” Lance laughed shakily.  “I guess it’s you and me now, huh, girl?”  He waited for an affirmation, or honestly just a response of any kind, like he would have received from Blue.  

 

      None came.  Lance tamped down his disappointment.

 

      “It’s okay if you’re not a talker - I can talk enough for the both of us,” he joked, though it fell flat even to his own ears.  Red remained silent, though Lance could feel her watching, waiting for something.

 

      He swallowed heavily.  Even though he knew that it was because Red had chosen him to be Keith’s replacement, Blue’s rejection still cut deep in a place Lance couldn’t reach to soothe the ache.  

 

      Normally Blue’s cool, calming presence was a comforting balm, easing Lance’s hurt and homesickness. The absence of that presence now just seemed to intensify the throbbing in his chest.  

 

      He reached for the controls a bit hesitantly - the inside of Red was similar to Blue, but it was foreign enough to make Lance feel uneasy sitting in the cockpit.  Any doubt was immediately pushed to the side as the sounds of yelling burst through the comm.

 

      “Well, I guess that’s our cue.”  Despite her presence being completely silent thus far, Red responded to his controls almost effortlessly, as if she instinctively knew what Lance was going to do before he even did. 

 

      “Keith!” Pidge’s voice prompted Lance to  _ move _ , far faster than he ever would have been able to in Blue.  In that moment, he could feel Red, emotions mirroring his own as they pushed faster than he thought them capable of.  He had always objectively known Red was more agile than Blue, but it was something else entirely to have that speed under his control.

 

      “I’m okay, but we can’t fight this guy alone.”  A surge of relief swept through Lance so large he wasn’t sure it was entirely his.  

 

      “You won’t have to.” A wave of approval washed over Lance from Red at Lance’s statement.  As he sped towards the others, he let loose Red’s laser, which sliced through enemy ships in their path like tissue paper.

 

      Weaving through the battlefield, Lance and Red were almost completely in sync.  While Red couldn’t be bothered to bond with Lance when he had entreated her earlier, there was a sense of purpose that seemed to bring them together now.

  
      Lance swerved to avoid a Galra ship aiming at Red. Instead of the approval or gratitude Lance might have expected from Blue, Red instead immediately urged him to move, to _act_.  Without thought, Lance responded to the shared instinct.

 

      As he continued to cut through Galra fighters, another larger blast tore into a group of ships.  

 

      “Need some help?”  Coran’s voice rang out over the comms, giving Lance a sense of relief in knowing that the Castle was acting as back up.  They may not be able to form Voltron with four lions, but the Castle’s firepower would deter Galra ships from clustering together and swarming the paladins.

 

      Lance heard Keith thank him over the comm and found himself wondering if Allura had not yet made it back to the bridge.

 

      “All right, let’s see if we can turn our attention on that ship.”  Keith took charge, finally calling out a semblance of a plan.  The ship continued to fire on the Castle, and Lance wondered how long the particle barriers would be able to withstand the onslaught - hopefully long enough for the rest of them to either take the ship out of commission or at least draw its attention back away from the Castle.

 

      “Woo-hoo! Boy, this lion can move!”  Pure, unadulterated joy filtered through Lance, so fierce he knew it couldn’t be his alone, as he made his way through enemy ships almost effortlessly.  

 

      Ship parts and flames blocked Lance’s vision as he sped through. As he bypassed the debris, the command ship loomed terrifyingly close to him.

 

      Lance immediately yanked up on the controls.

 

      Red didn’t protest, reacting swiftly to Lance’s sudden change in direction.  There was no surge of irritation as her claws scraped along the ship’s hull, no hurt at the ugly but superficial scrapes and scratches she would bear there until she was repaired.

 

      “Hey! Be careful with Red.”  It seemed like Keith was irritated on Red’s behalf.  

 

      “Oh, fly your own lion, Keith,” Lance grumbled.  He couldn’t even be truly annoyed with Keith - if someone else had done that to Blue, Lance would have easily been as mad.  Though, to be fair, so far Red seemed much less concerned with scratches in her paint job than Blue ever was.

 

      Something struck Red’s back while Lance was distracted, and he cried out at the impact.

 

      “I meant to do that!” He called out as he fought to take back control of Red, who was spinning through the air after the unexpected blow.

 

      “Wow, we’re really kind of a mess.” While it wasn’t untrue, Lance wanted to see  _ Pidge _ try and pilot a completely different lion for the first time in the middle of battle. Not only did Red move and respond differently from Blue, but the way Red thought and communicated with him was completely foreign.

 

      “We need to get organized.  Keith, what should we do?” Pidge asked.  

 

      “I don’t know,” Keith responded.  “We need to form Voltron, but we’re short a lion.”

 

      Any one of the rest of them could have told Keith that, but given the new circumstances, Lance couldn’t really fault Keith for stating the obvious.

 

      “Not anymore,” Allura responded.

 

      “Huh?”  Lance’s audible confusion intermingled with Hunk’s, Pidge’s, and Keith’s responses.

 

      Blue roared and the relief Lance felt at her presence on the battlefield was nearly overwhelmed by hurt.  It felt as if he had been sucker punched in the stomach.  

 

      “Allura?” Pidge asked, surprised to see Allura piloting Blue.

 

      “Yes! Awesome!” Hunk exclaimed.

 

      Doubt crept into Lance’s mind, seeing that Blue had accepted Allura as her paladin after thoroughly rejecting Lance.  He felt something falter in his connection with Red, and the more Lance tried to grasp at it, the more it seemed to slip away.

 

      Luckily, at the sight of Blue’s arrival, the ship turned tail and ran, Galra fighters trailing behind it, even as Lance completely lost whatever connection he had managed to forge with Red in the heat of battle.

 

      “We did it!”  Lance couldn’t contain the surprise from his otherwise pleased exclamation.  He hadn’t thought it would be that easy, but maybe the arrival of Blue had made the Galra think they would be able to form Voltron.  Lance wasn’t sure if that assumption was true, but he was glad the thought alone seemed to act as a deterrent.

 

      “I mean, it was a little touch and go there for a second, but, yeah, we made it.” Hunk responded, but even he seemed happy with their success.

 

      “Allura, you and the Blue Lion? How cool is that?” Pidge asked.

 

      “Yes, it was a bit of a surprise, but a happy one.” Lance could agree with Allura on both counts, though his happiness was tempered with sorrow.  

 

      Allura piloting Blue made Lance’s switch to Red feel more permanent than it had before.  It wasn’t as if Lance didn’t like piloting Red, but he didn’t know if he would ever get used to just how different the two lions were.  After a victory like today’s, Blue would be an encouraging and warm presence in Lance’s mind; Red, however, was a silent and mysterious one.

 

      “Now, we know Zarkon has a son.”  Keith’s words acted both as a sobering statement and a grounding one, anchoring Lance and giving him something to focus on despite the swirl of mixed emotions he felt.

 

      “This is… deeply disturbing,” Allura said.

 

      “We need to find out more.” It was one of the most leader-like statements Lance had heard Keith make so far.

  
  


      When they returned to the hangars, Lance couldn’t help but retrace familiar steps back to Blue.  Standing in front of her as she loomed as large as ever, Lance couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness.  She wasn’t unwelcoming, but she felt distant in a way she never had been before. 

 

      “Well, Old Blue, we sure had some fun adventures, didn’t we?” Memories sprung unbidden, bittersweet as they filtered through his mind in quick succession.

 

      “I wanted to stay with you, but, sometimes, what we want isn’t necessarily what we get.”

 

      Blue stared down at Lance, and although she didn’t respond, he knew her well enough to know how she would have responded.  Lance wondered if her silence was an attempt at a clean break or if she would never quite be able to communicate with him the same way now that Allura was her paladin.

 

      “I’m gonna miss you, buddy.”  Lance knew for certain now that this was goodbye - that this probably wasn’t going to be a temporary change.

 

      A door opened off to the side.  Lance turned towards the sound to find Allura clad in a new set of paladin armor.

 

      “Pink, huh?” It wasn’t a choice Lance would have expected from Allura, but he selfishly found himself grateful she wasn’t wearing blue.  Despite his initial surprise at the color, he had to admit it suited her.  “Not what I was expecting, but I like it.”

 

      Allura stepped closer to Lance, eyes cast downward.  “Yes.  On Altea, we wear this color to honor our fallen warriors.”  She looked up at Lance and managed a smile.  “I wear it to honor the paladins of old.”

 

      She looked away.  “And Shiro,” she tacked on, but it didn’t feel like an afterthought.

 

      Understanding hit Lance at Allura’s admission of just what her new armor met, understanding of both Allura and of Blue’s choice.  He drew his bayard and outstretched it towards Allura.

 

      “This belongs to you now.”

 

      Allura took it from Lance’s loose grip, a subtle look of surprise on her face at the offering.

 

      “If I had to lose Blue to someone, I’m glad it was you.”  It was a painful admission, but Lance could see why Blue had accepted Allura.  They would be good for each other.  Blue would obviously do well with a paladin like Allura at the controls, and Lance knew that if anyone could try and ease the grief Allura still felt even now, it was Blue.

 

      Allura looked like she might say something in response, but the moment was ruined when Coran called for her over the comms.

 

      “Princess! The Black Lion is leaving the Castle!”

  
  


      Tracking Lotor’s ship through the fog was an exercise in trust.  Trust in Allura to figure out how to bond with and pilot Blue. Trust in Keith and his ability to lead the team instead of acting independently.  But more importantly, trust in Red and in Lance’s own instincts.

 

      In their earlier battle with Lotor, Red’s speed had still been overwhelming, and Lance couldn’t help but wince at every mistake he made, at every unintentional collision.  She seemed to refuse all attempts to move slower while in the midst of battle, instead urging Lance to move and react faster.

 

      She growled at Lance’s panic.  Lance thought Red seemed unhappy with his inability to really lean into her abilities and at his attempts to rein in her speed.  But he wasn’t used to the style of piloting Red seemed to desire from him.  He was more the type to overanalyze, to sit and wait for his shot instead of rushing forward at full speed.

 

      Lance wasn’t the only one having trouble flying and bonding with his lion, so he was disappointed but unsurprised when they were unable to form Voltron.

 

      As they dove into the gases of Thayserix, Lance’s display began to buzz with static.  The sensors started going wild, and Lance was left only with his own limited sight in the dense, foggy atmosphere.  

 

      Keith seemed determined to push on anyway, despite the comms breaking up as he and Pidge argued.  Keith pulled ahead of the rest of the group.

 

      The denseness of the fog began to lessen and Lance quickly looked behind him.

 

      “I think we made it through the worst of it.”  Lance turned back around to see large rock structures looming ahead of him and screamed loudly in surprise.  He didn’t have time to think, twisting and turning to avoid them as they cropped up, Red responding perfectly to the controls.

 

      Allura didn’t appear to be able to react as quickly to the sudden obstacles and took a hit, spiraling out of control.  Hunk quickly went after her.

 

      Pidge and Lance stayed behind Keith, who seemed determined not to lose Lotor despite being two paladins short.

 

      “Keith, we have to go back for Allura.” Lance insisted, worried not only for Allura, but for Keith.

 

      Keith growled in response, single-mindedly focused on Lotor.  Lance had been able to hear Keith and the static seemed to have disappeared momentarily after successfully making it through the planet’s gases, so Lance knew Keith could hear him as well.

 

      “Keith, you’re splitting up the team!” Lance tried more desperately. “Keith, don’t do this!”

 

      Keith let out a yell and Black growled as they pulled away from the pursuit of Lotor.  Lance felt his fear subside as they headed back to where they had left Hunk and Allura.

 

      “Is everyone okay?” Pidge asked, concern lacing her voice.

 

      “I’m sorry that I slowed us down, but the Blue Lion isn’t listening to me.” Allura’s frustration in herself and in Blue came through clearly over the comms.  

 

      Lance felt sympathetic.  While he had an easier time piloting Red in battle than Allura had with Blue, there was still some disconnect between them.  He and Red only seemed to truly bond when in the midst of fighting, when Lance didn’t have time to think. 

 

      Regardless, Lance knew that once Allura realized Blue wasn’t simply a vessel to be piloted and truly understood that the lion was something to work with and not something to control, everything would fall into place.  He wasn’t so clear on what his own issues with piloting Red were, other than unfamiliarity with the lion itself.

 

      “It’s okay,” he attempted to reassure her.  “We’re a team. We stick together.  Isn’t that right, Keith?” Lance asked pointedly.

 

      “It’s not about the team.” Lance’s eyes narrowed at Keith’s words. “We have a mission that’s more important than any one of us. We need to find Lotor and stop him, and I plan on doing that right now.”

 

      Keith took off immediately, not waiting for any response from the rest of them.   

 

      Frustration bubbled inside Lance and he sighed. “Come on, guys. We’d better stick together.”

 

      As they followed Keith once more through the mist, their sensors and displays began to go haywire again.  Tension filled the air as they all strained to see through the fog and Lance could feel the anxiety rolling off of Hunk in waves.

 

      After flying in near silence for a minute, Hunk said what they were all thinking. “This is crazy! We can’t see a thing.”

 

      “Stay together,” Keith ordered.  “He’s around here somewhere. I know it.”

 

      As soon as he said it, something apparently darted behind the mist-covered rocks.  “There!” Keith called out, racing after it.

      

      The others took off immediately after him but lost track of what was supposedly  Lotor in the dense fog.  Lance landed on a nearby rock as they regrouped.

 

      “Where did he go?” Allura asked as they scanned through the mist.

 

      “No clue.” Pidge answered. “Our radars are worthless in here.”

 

      As soon as they seemed to gather that Lotor was toying with them and seemed to have lured them to Thayserix on purpose, his ship appeared suddenly from the fog, speeding through where the lions had gathered before disappearing again.

 

      “We need to get out of here. We’ve been led into a trap. The tables have turned. He’s flipped the script. The hunters have become the hunted.” Hunk’s panic was dangerous, and Lance forced himself to squash down his own fear.

 

      “Hunk, shouting taglines is getting us nowhere!” Lance yelled as he maneuvered Red to look at him.

 

      “Lance is right.” Lance blinked in surprise at Keith’s admission. “Remain calm and get ready. He’s gonna attack again. Everyone, circle up. We need to be prepared for anything.”

 

      They all moved at Keith’s orders, glad to see some semblance of rationality and teamwork from him instead of any reckless action to rush off again  and find Lotor.

 

      “As soon as you see him, fire with everything you’ve got.”

 

      Lance could feel the seriousness of the situation pressing down on him.  He strained to see through the mist, eyes looking for any sign of movement.

      

      Lotor’s ship dashed forward again, seemingly aimed towards Keith and Black.

 

      “Now! Fire!” Keith yelled as Black let loose a beam from his mouth.  Lance followed suit only a moment later.

 

      Bright light and intense heat blinded Lance as he was sent flying right behind Keith.  Their own weapons had literally exploded in their faces.

 

      Lance didn’t see anyone after that and couldn’t hear them due to the interference over the comms.  Worry welled up inside him. The odds of them finding each other in these conditions were slim.

 

      Red let out a growl as Keith and Black approached.

 

      “What happened back there? Where’s the rest of the team?” Lance demanded.

      

      “This is all my fault. I followed him right into a trap. Everyone warned me, but I didn’t listen.” Lance could hear the soft-spoken guilt in Keith’s voice as he spoke. “I put the entire team in jeopardy.”

 

      “Yeah, you kinda did.” Lance admitted, but didn’t hold onto the feeling of blame for long.  It wouldn’t help anyone right now, nor would Keith’s guilt. Instead, Lance let himself turn serious and determined.  “But now we gotta fix it.”

 

      There was a sense of approval radiating from Red - Allura had told him before that Red had chosen him because he had accepted Keith’s leadership.  Now, he was doing it again, despite the mistakes Keith had made.  For the first time, Lance thought he was beginning to understand Red and the role of the red paladin.

 

      “You’re right. Let’s go.”

 

      Allura found them as they wandered blindly through the mist.  She had apparently chased Lotor off on her own and used Blue’s sonar to map the maze of rocks.  

 

      Lance was both impressed and jealous.  Allura had been struggling terribly to pilot Blue just earlier and had done something the five of them together hadn’t been able to do, though Lance would admit their teamwork had left a lot to be desired.

 

      Allura was turning out to be an amazing paladin.  She’d figured out some of Blue’s tricks far faster than Lance had been able to.  Was it because she knew of Blue’s capabilities already? Or was it because she had bonded better and faster with Blue?  The questions plagued his mind until a low rumbling from Red brought Lance out of his head.

 

      “Thanks girl,” he murmured, quiet enough that it wouldn’t be heard over the comms.  There was a measure of satisfaction at his words that radiated from Red.

 

      Luckily, Allura had been able to find Pidge and Hunk and it didn’t take long for the three of them to reach the pair.

 

      “Hailing Pidge and Hunk. Are you paladins looking for an exit?” Allura asked over the comm, interrupting Hunk’s talk of burritos.  Man, what Lance wouldn’t do for a burrito...or any type of Earth food.

 

      “No way! You guys found us!” Hunk laughed, giddy with relief at being found.

 

      Keith chimed in. “Actually, Allura found you. She found all of us. She was able to connect with her lion.”

 

      Again, Lance felt a weird mixture of pride and jealousy but quickly pushed down the latter.  They were a team, and Lance knew that he shouldn’t feel anything but happy for Allura over her accomplishment.  After all, Lance had already given her his blessing, and it wasn’t as if Lance hadn’t begun to truly understand and connect with Red.

 

      “Wow! How did you do it?” Pidge asked curiously.  

 

      Lance found himself leaning in closer to the comm to hear Allura’s answer better.

 

      “I just had to get into a Lance-like mindset and stop thinking so much.”

 

      “Yeah, think like Lance!” Lance paused.  “Wait a minute! Are you calling me dumb?” He demanded.  

 

      He felt a sting of hurt and annoyance at Allura’s answer.  It wasn’t as if he never thought when he piloted Blue.  Sure, he didn’t overthink their bond, but it was because it had felt so natural when he had first met Blue - it wasn’t something he had needed to learn.  

 

      And Lance resented the thought that he was entirely without any kind of strategy or foresight when they fought.  He was definitely more of a thinker than Keith, that was for sure.  If anything, Red seemed to be annoyed by Lance’s tendency to slow down and try to plan his next move instead of doing things instinctively.

 

      “No, I’m calling you a natural,” Allura insisted.

 

      Lance made a face.  He wasn’t sure if that was what Allura had actually meant by that comment.  He didn’t feel like a natural - or at least, not enough like a natural for Red’s liking.  Huh.  Maybe that was why he had issues connecting with Red.

 

      “Naturally dumb,” Hunk joked, chiming in over the comm.

 

      “Yeah, he was born with it,” Pidge teased.

 

      “Look, I’m glad we’re all making fun of Lance, but we still have to find a way out of here,” Keith said.

 

      Of course, even with Allura being able to chart a course off of the planet, they weren’t out of hot water yet.  Lotor had called for backup, and Allura informed Keith that there now appeared to be dozens of Galra ships orbiting the planet and waiting for them.

 

      “We have to form Voltron,” Keith said.  He was right - it was probably their only chance, but - 

 

      “But we were not able to form Voltron the last time we tried,” Allura protested.

 

      “We have to keep trying. We may have come here fragmented and disorganized, but the only way we’re getting out of here is if we work together.  This is our team.  Shiro believed in us. We have to believe in ourselves. Who’s with me?”

 

      “Yeah!” Lance, Allura, Hunk, and Pidge all shouted in unison.

 

      It was the first time since they’d undergone their lion switch that Lance really felt like they were a team.  He and Red felt fully in sync, and he could tell the others were feeling the same way with their own lions and with each other.

 

      “Now, form Voltron!”

 

      The first time forming Voltron since piloting Red was strange.  Being an arm instead of a leg was both familiar and foreign.  Rather than being focused on support and stability,  he was in a position primed for attack.  But the same sense of unity remained - even despite the abrupt change in position, Lance still knew exactly how to move as a part of the whole.  It felt comforting despite the fact that it meant they were now fighting for their lives again.

 

      “Hunk, I’m a leg!” Allura exclaimed. 

 

      “Pretty cool, right?”

 

      Lance couldn’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia at the exchange between her and Hunk.  It was like forming Voltron again for the first time, at least for Allura, Keith, and him.

 

      Despite the new formation and all the difficulties they had cooperating as a team earlier, they now worked together seamlessly.

 

      Lance and Red formed the sword for the first time, and Lance felt a surge of adrenaline.  

 

      Lance also felt a bit awed.  Red was completely in her element, acting as a finely honed weapon.  Neither of them had to think about it, acting as a part of the collective and even urging Voltron along at certain points.

 

      Leaving the wreckage of Galra ships behind them as they continued onwards, Pidge asked, “Lotor’s getting away.  Shouldn’t we go after him?”

 

      “No” Keith answered. “Pushing the team too hard is what got us in this mess in the first place. We’ll face him again when we’re ready.”

 

      “Roger that team leader,” Lance responded, pride at Keith’s decision reverberating between him and Red, growing larger with each pass.

 

      It wasn’t long until they arrived back at the Castle, docking their lions in their hangars.  Soon they’d all be attempting to celebrate their victory while simultaneously criticizing each other over what went wrong and attempting to plan their next move. 

 

      Usually they had left the latter to Allura and Shiro, who were the clear leaders of the group.  But with Keith taking over as the paladin of the Black Lion and becoming their new, inexperienced leader and Allura taking on a new role as a paladin and having to obey Keith’s orders on the battlefield, the dynamic had shifted.  Lance suspected the rest of them would become much more involved in advising the pair  (Keith specifically) on what they should do next.

 

      Lance slumped in his seat inside Red.  He found himself reluctant to exit the hangar and foray into their new roles and dynamics.  This may have been their new normal, but it wasn’t one he was ready to face just yet.

 

      Despite his reluctance to embrace the change that had happened, he knew they wouldn’t be able to go back to the way things were before.  

 

      Already, Lance could feel himself changing as a pilot and a paladin.  He could feel the gap between him and Blue growing larger, especially as Allura blossomed in her new role.  Lance could only hope that as he moved farther away from Blue, he moved closer to Red.

 

      He’d never be Keith, that much was for sure.  Keith, whose impulsivity was matched only by his skill as a pilot. Keith, who would jump headfirst into danger without a second thought.

  
      But maybe he’d become a pilot worthy of Red anyway, a paladin who could be able to draw on the parts of him that he hadn’t needed with Blue.  

 

      Even as he thought that, he felt something from Red.  A surge of warmth, encouraging and almost protective.  The sensation was so completely different from Blue’s cool, soothing touch.  But honestly? Lance actually felt more comforted by Red’s approving warmth than he thought he would’ve by Blue at the moment.

 

      Lance blinked, surprised to feel wet droplets at the end of his lashes.  He wiped at his eyes.  

 

      “Well, Red, looks like it’s really you and me,” Lance laughed shakily.

 

      This time, Red rumbled loudly, approval echoing loudly throughout the empty hangar.

 

**Author's Note:**

> If you wanna talk Voltron, feel free to hit me up on tumblr @redbayards


End file.
